David Watson during premier season

i've got it upstairs if anyone wants it, seem to remember just a chapter about us in it, think he moaned about the drinking culture,
the club hyped him up as turning down european football to sign for us, despite never laikin for leverkusen!

 

I'll never forget that performance from Leese at Anfield and the whole team for that matter. You could see what it meant to him and the relief at the end as he acknowledged the away end. What a day. I remember the coach journey in and Liverpool fans holding up their hands and gesturing 5-0, expecting a hammering.

 

Still gutted to this day that I missed that match!

 

I went with my mum (10 years old) and don't think I've ever been so nervous holding on for a win, except maybe Bradford at home. They hammered shot after shot at our goal but we held on! Thanks for sharing that about the book review! Didnt know that about him. Was quite a risk him winging it to join a Premiership club, but he was great that day (I dont actually remember any other games with Leese playing though I know he played a few)

 

I remember him coming on as sub at Oakwell. I always feel nervous for sub goalies anyway but it was a lot of pressure.

 

I was sat in the Kop with Liverpool mates. They were magnanimous in defeat & I was taken to their local boozers. We then got a train to York to go and see a gig a Fibbers.

 

Now you mention it that does sound vaguely familiar. I always feel for the keepers subbed on for penalty shootouts, must be a weird feeling! A keeper was subbed on in my first match come to think of it, when Watson got sent off and Lee Butler came on in a 5-0 loss to Birmingham. Butler's first touch was to pick the ball out of the net following a penalty. I wonder if that was Watson's only red card for us? Would've thought so but can't be sure

 

Sounds like a great day out! Who did you go and see in York? I remember it felt a bit hostile on the coach out of Anfield, but like I said was only 10, and there was no real incidents

 

My mates band were supporting Intastella. If you don't remember them (fairly likely), they were a band from the "baggy" era (Roses, Mondays, etc). They all came back to this house & York & there was a mad party till the early hours. The rozzers were called out at some point. I can't write all the gory details. It was a hell of a day though & I did get to have a bit of a snog with Stella, which rounded things off nicely....

 

No I was too young for that scene at the time, but loved the Roses when I discovered them. Ha brilliant, must've been good if the rozzers were called! Love it, you were effectively Stella's groupie!

 

Yes, it was a hell of a day. There was a lot of madness back then TBH, but that was one of the highlights, with the match & the partying. Intastella were not the greatest band & well past their peak at that time, (they'd tried to resurrect themselves on the Brit Pop thing, but didn't really succeed). That said they were a great laugh & my mates band were pretty good. He was the drummer & later ended up being Kaiser Chiefs drum tech & pretty much main road guy. He met his now wife in Perth Australia & lives there. I'm still mates with the singer & trombone player too. A lot of that season was partying with mates I knew who supported big clubs. Many hammered us, but a few we beat. They all admired the fact we had the balls to play good football & as a result they were pretty kind, even games like Arsenal, when we were world beaters for 30 mins, but forget how many it was in the end & can't be arsed to look it up, 5, 6? All the people I knew were music people, so we had another bond & it was just one great day out after another, whatever the result.

 

Nothing like music and footy to bring people together eh?! In the absence of football music has really helped me in this time and I haven't played guitar as much since I was a teen. You've got some great memories there mate! Bet it was nuts as an adult in the 90s

 

Yes, I was in my early 30's. Had just given up on making it in a band & was working in a record shop & doing a degree at Leeds Uni, surrounded by beautiful women everywhere. Was probably the best time of my life that. In terms of teams I obviously loved that team, but the greatest team to me was the Norman Hunter one. Being older is a curse, but also a blessing. Ronnie Glavin, Ian Banks & Ray McHale in midfield, Big Mick, Big Trev, that was a mind blowing team. I was 16/17 then, but had been watching since 74/75. Clarke turned it around, Hunter was the cherry on the cake. That said we've had some great times since, it hasn't been dull for long, it's boom & bust as a Reds fan these days & my life is a bit like that too, great highs & dark lows.

 

It's funny how you have such an affinity with a team from when you were young as I do with that promotion team. To me, Glavin and Hunter are just names and I can only imagine the impact, everyone who talks about Glavin especially doesn't have a bad word to say. And that promotion team to kids growing up now will just be names. But like you say it's never dull being a reds fan. And as for the highs and lows in life, although painful at times it's an indication that you're living, and in my opinion it's better to feel it all than be numb etc.

 

You have hit the nail on the head there. That pretty much sums up how I feel about everything. The Premier League season, what was happening in my life & everything eclipsed what had gone before, but you had to see that Hunter team. Different times back then, If we'd gone on we could have been another Forest in some ways. We had a momentum. It was lost, as it always is sadly. Life is like that too, you take risks, you grasp nettles, you sometimes win & you sometimes lose. At least you live life, take chances & have memories, some good, some bad. Not really a sentimental type person & this is a bit of a sentimental song, but the words are bang on.

 

I seem to remember him getting clattered vs Bolton at home. Peter beardsley was playing for them. Dint hristov score winner late on??

 

Yep

 

It wasn’t Lars’ first pro match. He’d played about 6 or 7 for us prior to Anfield. It WAS Markstedts debut for us